Apostle of the Goddess of War

Chapter 178

Ch.178 Apostle of the Goddess of War

"Huh?"

"Sir Sion."

"Ms. Anna."

While walking, Sion met Anna. She was a woman whose pretty forehead was noticeable even with a headscarf wrapped around her head.

'When we first met, she was imprisoned in a cave dungeon with a brand on her forehead….'

Thanks to Goddess Achille's grace, the brand disappeared, leaving only a beautiful face. It was Anna, who would continue her life as Garfenn's lover.

Sion, having met a victim born from the tragedy of war, greeted her bitterly.

"It's been a while. Have you been well?"

"Hmm…."

Anna smiled bitterly. Undoing her headscarf and arranging her hair, she said,

"I cannot say I've been well. As you know…."

"Yes. That's true. I'm sorry. That was a rude greeting."

Anna shook her head.

"To say Sir Sion is rude. It's just that my heart hasn't healed yet."

"Shall we walk for a bit? It seems we're heading in the same direction."

"Yes. Where are you going, Sir Sion?"

Anna took out an item from her waist. It was hard, stale bread.

With food being scarce these days, even such bread was a blessing.

"I was getting bread to take to the children."

"You are still kind and full of responsibility, Ms. Anna."

It was Anna who protected the village women from the corrupted Knights of Wisdom. Her sacrifice and service continued still. It was a goodness that would shine until the day the world ended.

"I feel rewarded by such things."

The two walked and talked again.

"You say it's okay to rest a bit even when the world is on the verge of destruction?"

"There's a saying, isn't there? 'Even if the world ends tomorrow, plant a tree and pray to the Goddess today'?"

"Is there?"

"Well, there is."

"Hahaha."

Anna chuckled. Sion was fun to tease. It was also a reaction that naturally brought someone missed to mind.

"When we first met, you were a young boy, but now you've truly grown up."

"Do I look like it?"

"Of course. You're reliable. Like Garfenn."

"Garfenn…."

Silence flowed between the two. It was their greatest connecting link. A person impossible to forget even if one tried.

If asked to choose the person they wanted to see most right now, both Sion and Anna would think of Garfenn without hesitation.

"Now you are more reliable than him. You've become not just the guardian of Elim, but the guardian of humanity."

"I failed."

"It's important not to give up until the end."

"Thank you for your words."

Anna handed Sion the bread. Sion refused with a smile.

"I'm not hungry."

"You are kind too."

"……"

"……"

Sion turned his head slightly.

"Do you not resent him?"

"I do."

The returning answer was sharp as a knife. It seemed there was a large lump of emotion stored in her heart. One didn't need to specify who it was to know.

"I do, very much."

Anna began to shed tears. Her belly was now full. Childbirth was imminent.

The child soon to be born might die without ever seeing the light. It was a terrible tragedy. An even greater tragedy remained beneath the tragedy.

"I resent him for leaving me with a child and dying. I curse him for not being by my side at the end."

"……"

Sion flinched. He even felt killing intent from her wide-open eyes.

"Revenge. Does doing that really make you feel better? Without even thinking about the pain the remaining people will receive?"

"Ms. Anna… Master—"

"Enough. What use is there in saying he intended to return? The result is this mess."

Sion answered powerlessly.

"That's true."

"I will definitely take revenge. If I ever meet that sinful man, Garfenn, again."

"Master is really terrible, isn't he?"

"I'll even pull that damned ex-wife's hair out."

Anna wiped the corners of her eyes and laughed. Sion couldn't find laughter either.

That would truly be an amusing spectacle.

"The master I knew really had no luck with women, but that was my mistake too."

"He does have luck with women. It was just that I had no eye for men."

"Ms. Anna, this is the first time I knew you were such a funny person."

Anna sniffled.

"Sir Sion."

"Yes."

"I don't know how much time we have left, but let me give you one piece of advice as a woman."

"Please, speak."

"Treat Ruina well. She's a cute child."

"……I know."

It was a crossroads. Their paths were different. The two stood there and exchanged final words.

"I will treat her well. Forever. For decades."

"Forever?"

Anna asked. She realized late that a hopeful story had come out of Sion's mouth. Her eyes reddened.

Putting aside possibility, just the fact that hope was born made her heart pound. Sion held Anna's hand and said,

"Yes. Ms. Anna's child must grow up smiling too. I've decided to become the uncle."

"……"

"Helping others is good, but please take care of your health, Ms. Anna."

Anna wiped her tears with her headscarf. Then she put it back on her forehead and turned around.

"If you leave Ruina and your siblings alone, you will curse yourself too."

"Haha, I'll prepare myself."

"Really prepare yourself."

***

"Since you are here, sit down. Why are you standing there so blankly?"

Kegan turned his head and gestured with his chin. His face was red even in broad daylight. Beside him were only full bottles of alcohol.

"Where did all this alcohol come from?"

"I stashed it here and there while evacuating. A habit I picked up during my mercenary days."

Sion sat beside him. The smell of strong liquor wafted sharply.

"Will you drink too?"

Kegan handed over a bottle. Sion accepted the alcohol and drank. He normally wouldn't touch it, but since it was the end, he wanted to try it once.

"Ugh, uah."

Sion wiped his mouth and returned the bottle. Kegan laughed loudly.

"How is it? Tastes good, right?"

"It really tastes bad."

"Tsk, tsk."

"You drink this saying it tastes good? Really? It's disgustingly bitter."

"That's because you haven't tasted the bitterness of life enough yet. Later, this bitter taste will feel sweet."

Sion shook his head repeatedly. There was no communicating with a drunk human.

"Why are you drowning yourself in alcohol like this?"

"Me? Why? Can't I do this?"

Kegan grumbled. He looked displeased that Sion had come to nag while he was resting well.

"No. Actually, it looks good. I just asked out of curiosity. Other War Knights are training until the end. For Commander Kegan to be like this… it doesn't seem to suit you."

"Heh-heh-heh. Heh-heh."

Kegan emptied a bottle of alcohol. There was no alcohol left. He smacked his lips before answering.

"I ran without resting. Truly, I didn't rest for a single moment. I thought rest was a luxury for me. It was such a weary life."

Sion nodded in agreement. Kegan's life wasn't easy either. He must have suffered from chronic fatigue.

"You were more diligent than anyone I've seen. You were passionate. Hmm, so you broke down in an instant?"

"As expected, you are quick-witted. That's right."

Kegan gazed at the crumbling world. The wrinkles around his eyes and scars on his cheeks represented his life. It must have been as turbulent as the world collapsing over there.

"It's just… it felt futile. I lived so diligently, yet this was the result."

Sion and Kegan witnessed a mountain range being lifted whole in real-time. It was the mountain in northern Elim where the Blood Cultists had been hiding.

"The day the world ends is right around the corner now."

"We lived so hard… it's truly a dispiriting ending."

"It's surreal. It still feels like I'm dreaming. Like I should be riding a horse and running."

Kegan watched the awe-inspiring spectacle and laughed emptily. Seeing his laugh, Sion smiled bitterly.

"If this were a disaster humans could overcome with effort, I wouldn't give up and would devote my life to it, but what is that?"

"There really is no method, is there?"

"Yes, that's it. Since there's nothing I can do. So I'm drinking the alcohol I like. Do you understand my heart?"

Sion nodded.

"Of course I do. I've just been resting by the seaside until now too."

"Was it sweet?"

"The aftertaste is bitter."

"That's proof this dream-like daily life is false."

"Hmm."

Sion picked up a rolling alcohol bottle and poured it onto his tongue. From the few drops falling on his tongue, a strong taste was felt.

"Reality is bitter."

"If you keep savoring that bitterness, you forget reality. That's why I drink alcohol. To forget pain."

"It sounds like you're telling me to keep facing reality until I become indifferent."

"Is that so?"

Kegan let out a long sigh. Phew—. The smell of alcohol permeated the air.

Down below, knights could be seen running. Sion and Kegan didn't know what kind of training it was for. However, the fact that they hadn't given up yet was worthy of respect.

"Will you fight again?"

"Please help me."

"What can I do?"

"There is a way. If the Goddesses help us."

Kegan fell silent. His long beard protruded from his bushy lips.

"Can't I just drink alcohol like this until I die? It's troublesome. Really, this time."

"You must work and then die. That is your fate, Mr. Kegan."

"You damn… talking like that!"

"Haha. I always relied on you, Mr. Kegan. You were always the biggest pillar for me."

Sion stood up and spoke. Kegan's condition was much more sound. The worry was unfounded.

He had just lost his way for a moment. Kegan was a warhorse ready to run anytime if only the path was shown again.

"Do you think saying such things will get you off the hook?"

"Yes."

"You judged the wrong person."

"The Goddess of War and Sir Garfenn were mistaken."

"What?"

Sion laughed. Kegan looked at Sion, who was smiling annoyingly, then turned his head.

"Just get me one more bottle of alcohol. I'll drink only that, clean up, and get up."

"I'll do that. I'll try to get some from the Foils merchants."

"Their alcohol tastes bad."

"Huh? Then…."

Kegan grabbed a bottle. It was a bottle with a pretty pattern.

"The alcohol from the north is strong and clean. Please get that."

"……I'll try."

Sion bowed and turned around. Kegan shouted toward his departing back.

"Apostle of War!"

"……?"

"Thank you. Thank you."

The commander of the War Knights bowed deeply to the apostle again. He didn't know when he had stood up, but he was bowing his waist deeply.

'I should be the one saying that.'

Sion also bowed his head toward him. It seemed he wouldn't need to get the alcohol after all.

***

He walked toward the Temple of Fire, which had only ruins remaining. Even though completely collapsed, Divine Power remained, making it a suitable place for Goddesses to stay.

There, the remaining Goddesses held strategy meetings day and night without rest. However, an answer rarely came out.

With humanity greatly reduced, their powers weren't overflowing like before, and with the Round Table taken, the strength and status of the Goddesses were not what they used to be.

Nevertheless, the Goddesses gritted their teeth and put their heads together.

Protecting the world and humanity as Goddesses was a duty and a noble mission.

Sion walked toward the entrance of that temple. He had to talk with the Goddesses.

"Sir Sion?"

Someone was guarding the temple entrance. The remaining knights of the cult formed teams of two each to patrol the vicinity.

The guard for the War Cult was Tier.

"Ah, Tier. You were on duty."

"Hehe. It's a mission to protect the Goddesses. It's an honor."

"It seems you've improved your skills a lot."

"Compared to Sir Sion, it's nothing. But I am confident."

Sion's nose tingled.

The cowardly miner who was nothing special had now become a proper knight. Both his body and mindset were faithful and devout.

"Let's test our skills later."

"Haha, yes! I'd love that. Are you going to see the Goddesses?"

"Yes."

"Understood."

"Ah, and. Sir Sion."

Sion stopped while climbing the stairs. Tier seemed to have something to say.

"It's sudden again, but thank you. Thanks to you, my younger sister is growing up healthy."

"Silvia, she was well, wasn't she? I'll go visit her soon. I was curious."

"Wow! You even remember her name."

"Of course. She was the first person I saved as the Holy Knight of the Goddess of War."

Tier laughed brightly.